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Geothermal heat pumps use groundwater or water circulated through pipes to exchange heat with the earth. Geothermal versus air-source heat pump systems use the earth’s natural temperature to exchange heat and provide heating and cooling. The temperature of the air varies widely with the weather. Whereas the temperature of the earth is nearly constant.
This makes the use of a geothermal system ideal for heating and cooling. It also costs less in energy use because of the constant earth temperature versus the widely varying temperature of the outside air. Consequently, geothermal systems make sense and can save lots of money in energy use.
Geothermal Heat Pumps - Operating Costs
Geothermal heat pumps provide you with heating and cooling at nearly half the energy cost that of standard air conditioner and heating systems. That includes air-source or gas or oil systems cost to run in the typical residential or light commercial setting. The savings can offset the high installation costs of geothermal energy usage over a period making these systems ideal for present and future use.
Energy costs are rising every year as finite resources become limited, and the world population increases demand for energy. Ground source systems can be a solution to save energy costs in the future. Consequently,m there are some considerations you need to know about having a geothermal system installed for your home or business.
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Geothermal Heat Pumps - Requirements
First, you need to have a source of water. A large body or a well that can handle the load of a geothermal system. In some cases, if you have a large area of land, a trench can be dug. Special geothermal heat pump piping can be installed in the trench. That provides a water loop for the geothermal system.
The cost of having a well drilled, the trench dug, or piping ran to a large body of water can make the installation cost of the geothermal heat pumps rise. Well above the normal air source heating and cooling systems. However, the energy savings realized over some time can offset this high installation cost.
In addition to the information here, see a detailed description of the various types of geothermal heat pump loops.
Geothermal Heat Pumps - Features and Options
A geothermal heat pump system can come as a split system, or it can be a single packaged unit. A geothermal heat pump system will still require the installation of ductwork because geothermal systems are forced air systems. Most noteworthy, an added benefit of a geothermal heat pump system is that some geothermal heat pumps can be fitted to heat water. Hot water for domestic use so you can use your geothermal heat pump to heat water.
Hot water for your shower and washing dishes. Alternatively, other geothermal heat pumps are water to water. They can produce hot water for a radiant heating system, used as a pool heater, or used in snow melting. Furthermore, geothermal heat pump systems are all-electric and considered to be more efficient than other forms of heating and cooling.
Types
Geothermal heat pump closed loop diagram
In addition, geothermal heat pumps can be open-loop, closed-loop, or use a large body of water. These are needed for the heat exchange process. Closed-loop systems can be installed either vertically or horizontally if there is enough land for a horizontal installation. Open-loop geothermal systems require two or more wells. One well receives the water from the geothermal system.
The opposite well pulls water from the well for the condenser in the geothermal system. Especially relevant, special piping is used in all applications. Finally, when a large body of water is used for the geothermal systems, the piping is secured. Secured under the water below the average freeze line in the water. Therefore, some depth to the water source is needed for proper installation.
Geothermal Heat Pumps Video & Conclusion
Furthermore, here is an excellent video of how a geothermal system heat pump works. Lengthy video and intense discussion of a ground source heat pump system but very good. Geothermal heat pump systems are the most efficient systems used. They do not require backup heat like an air source heat pump system.
The cost of installing a geothermal heat pump system is higher. However, over the long term, the savings in energy usage from a geothermal heat pump system to an air source heat pump system is greater. The discussion includes the payback in energy savings from the cost of installing a geothermal heat pump system.
Finally, HighPerformanceHVAC.com is your source for information concerning geothermal heat pumps, geothermal heating, and heat pump systems. Geothermal Heat Pump Systems are among the most efficient type of heating and cooling systems available today.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Thank you for the fast reply and good info. Does anyone make a water-cooled system for air conditioning only? As the cost for heating and cooling heat pump systems are, as you say very expensive.
A normal air-cooled air conditioning system is not that expensive and just adding a heat exchanger shouldn’t cost that great but I can’t find any ready-made supplier. it would be a normal air conditioning system except instead of a fan and condenser it would have a heat exchanger. Thank you again, Jim
I am in the San Diego area, I have a split system that is air-cooled with a gas furnace backup. I want to remove the condenser and replace it with a heat exchanger and use my water well to supply the heat exchanger with the water returning to the well, with an electrical shutoff valve on the output of the heath exchanger controlled by the compressor fan that would be removed.
If the compressor needs cooling I could wrap the compressor with copper cooling coils before it enters the heat exchanger. The well has three check valves to prevent contamination. The well is used for irrigation only. Help Jim ps the water seems to be not hard water
Sounds like you want to build your own water source heat pump. This is probably not a good idea unless you have an engineering background. Geothermal heat pump systems that you can buy from an HVAC geothermal heat pump supplier are specifically engineered with the water coils and the refrigerant coils engineered to work together to provide the appropriate flow for the proper heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water.
Wrapping the compressor is not necessary as the compressor is cooled by the refrigerant gas that comes from the evaporator. The well is another important factor and I do not know if irrigation well is appropriate for a geothermal system. The well or water source for a geothermal system is very important for the proper and reliable operation of the heat pump system.
It must have the capacity and quality of water to properly give a good heat exchange ratio with the geothermal heat pump condenser. I’ve seen cases where the wells were sucked dry and the geothermal system would not operate properly. Other cases where the well was drawn low and sucking mud that continuously clogged the water filters so the well is very important to the system as a whole.
The better type of geothermal system for the water source, in my humble opinion, is a closed-loop system but this requires lots of acreages and/or a large body of water near the home or business where the geothermal system will be operating. If you want a reliable system that operates properly then hire an expert to do it for you.
Of course like everything it will come with a high price because geothermal heat pump systems are costly. If they were cheap then everyone would have them installed in their homes and businesses. They will offer you savings on power bills and overtime that pays for itself.
If you decide to do it yourself and you are successful keep us up to date on your progress. I wish you luck.